Pressure sensitive adhesives have significant commercial applications. While a variety of pressure sensitive adhesive compositions are known, not all such compositions are suitable for use in optical applications where optical clarity is desired. In such applications, it is often desirable that the pressure sensitive adhesive remains optically clear during the manufacture and lifetime of the optical component or product.
The stability, clarity, bond strength, or a combination thereof of some known pressure sensitive adhesives can be adversely affected when used in combination with some optical films or other substrates. For example, substrates that contain polycarbonates or poly(methyl methacrylates) are known to outgas (i.e., release a gaseous material) under certain environmental conditions (e.g., elevated temperature or humidity) resulting in the formation of bubbles in adjacent layers such as an adhesive layer. The bubbles can result in a weakening of the adhesive bond between the outgassing substrate and another layer to which it is laminated. Delamination and bubbling in the adhesive layer of an optical component or product is usually undesirable. Even in non-optical applications, bubbling and delamination in the adhesive layer can be undesirable.